PATIENT ADVOCATE

Description

We are looking for individuals who fit our patient-centric practice and positive office culture. If you love getting to know a diverse group of patients, have the patience to console upset patients while multitasking at a busy front desk, then we need you as the face of Palms Medical clinics! Apply today for one of our Patient Advocate positions.

We hire to retire. Come join our amazing team of professionals offering total family wellness and healthcare to residents of 7 counties via our 12 offices in North Florida.

PERKS:
• Work a Monday through Friday schedule from 8am - 5pm
• Enjoy 11 PAID Holidays including your Birthday
• Earn PTO that accrues upon start date at a rate of 40 hours every 3 months to use as you please.
• Family focused company values for work/life balance
• Pay increase after initial 90 days of employment 

Position Summary

Patient Advocates are responsible for all clerical and front desk administration duties, including but not limited to greeting guests, answering telephones, scheduling patients and payment collection.

Description of Primary Responsibilities

1. Responsible for customer service   
2. Provide necessary customer and support services to patients of Palms Medical Group within his/her field of training in accordance with stated policies and procedures of PMG.
3. Smile, welcome, and assist the patient upon their entry into the PMG clinic.
4. Answer, screen and route telephone calls in a polite and professional manner.
5. Answer the telephone within three (3) rings.
6. Know how to efficiently operate a multiline telephone. 
7. Know all PMG departments and services.
8. Responsible for patient check in
9. Obtain accurate patient information with the appropriate signatures, including but not limited to, demographics, insurance, consent and medical history forms.
10. Verify patient insurance was verified through Phreesia, if not, verify in Nextgen.
11. Maintain knowledge of accepted insurances including deductibles, premiums, PPOs, HMOs, and provider charges. 
12. Accurately and proficiently review data entered in Phreesia is accurately reflected in Nextgen.
13. Maintain efficient patient flow with regard to front desk and clinic operations.
14. Know how to schedule and preschedule an appointment.
15. Assure patients, visitors and vendors are announced and routed to the appropriate departments.
16. Maintain orderly and professional work areas.
17. Understand, articulate and sign the patient up for the sliding fee scale.
18. Understand the philosophy and functionality of prescheduling vs same day scheduling.
19. Responsible for patient check out
20. Greet and communicate with patients in a professional and courteous manner.
21. Collect patient encounter form.
22. Verify the procedure and diagnosis code. 
23. Collect charges for services delivered.
24. Collect on patient’s outstanding balance.
25. Shall accurately perform end-of-day activities, including but not limited to; assuring all encounters are accounted for, reconciling cash drawer, reconciling charges, submitting reconciled balance sheet, deposits and encounters to the Finance Department each day, and maintaining encounter and cash flow logs.
26. Responsible for administrative duties 
27. Read and adhere to the Front Desk Policy Manual.
28. Check emails at least twice daily.
29. Appropriately task clinical related questions to nursing staff via EHR after 10:00 AM. 
30. Be responsible for assuring the provider’s templates are used appropriately by auditing provider schedules biweekly.
31. Participate in Quality Assurance and other meetings as directed by the Patient Advocate Coordinator, Regional Manager or VP of Practice Management.
32. Assist the VP of Practice Management with medical data collection for UDS and grant applications. 
33. Assist with audits and surveys as directed by Patient Advocate Coordinator.
34. Perform any other duty assigned by the Patient Advocate Coordinator, Regional Manager, VP of Practice Management or CEO to improve the efficiency of PMG

Requirements

Description of Primary Attributes

General Development:

1. Must be organized, a self-starter and detailed oriented
2. Job duties require the ability to work independently and as part of a team
3. Expected to multitask 
4. Expected to train, mentor and coach patient advocate staff
5. Expected to stay at clinic until the last patient leaves
6. Expected to travel and cover other sites during patient advocate absences

Professional & Technical Knowledge:

• 1. Employee will have a Working Knowledge of the following office equipment:
• Multiline Telephone
• Copier
• Computer
• Scanner
• Fax Machine
• Calculator
• 2. Employee will be expected to navigate and operate Microsoft Office suite products, including Word and Excel 

Licenses & Certifications:

1. High School Diploma or Equivalent
2. Prefer prior customer service experience and cash handling responsibility

Communications Skills:

1. Effectively communicates complex and/or technical information to co-workers, patients and/or vendors

Physical/Mental/Emotional Demands:

• Standing for long periods of time
• Sitting for long periods of time
• Viewing a computer monitor for long periods of time
• Bending
• Stretching / Reaching
• Walking short distances
• Lifting up to 50 pounds
• Operating office equipment (computer, fax machines, telephones and copy machines)
• Reading forms / Instructions / Patients Charts 
• Communicating well to people of various ages, educational levels, cultural backgrounds in person or by telephone
• Exposure to potentially violent / irate patients
• Health / Safety Consideration of Position
• Exposure to chemical infectious / contagious illness
• Exposure to chemical and inhalation of antibiotics during reconstitution
• Exposure to X-Ray radiation 
• Exposure to a variety of scents and odors
• Must utilize universal precaution in clinical or exposure situations as prescribed by federal state, and local guidelines and /or laws